Structural foam skid

ABSTRACT

A skid for the storage and transport of articles such as paper. The skid is formed of an injection molded synthetic resin structural foam. The skid has a generally rectangular shaped load bearing surface and has longitudinal supports on the underside of the skid adjacent each side edge. The longitudinal supports are strengthened by buttresses located perpendicular to the plane of the longitudinal support. A plurality of generally V-shaped ribs extend transversely between the longitudinal supports, and a plurality of longitudinally extending ribs extend between the Vshaped ribs. At least two lift stabilizing ribs have a height at least that of the largest height dimension of the V-shaped ribs and are located on the underside of the skid. Channel means are provided in the skid for permitting tiedown strapping to be easily passed under a load carried by the skid.

Jesse [451 Oct.7,1975

[ STRUCTURAL FOAM SKID Edwin L. Jesse, West Caldwell, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Evans Products Company, Portland,

Oreg.

22 Filed: June 20,1974

21 Appl. No.: 481,044

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 108/55 [51] Int. Cl]. B65D 19/44 [58] Field of Search108/5l58; 206/386 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,814,2527/1931 Leary 108/55 X 3,315,800 4/1967 Wagner 108/55 X 3,511,191 5/1970Barry, Jr.; et al.... 108/51 X 3,524,415 8/1970 Heiman 108/53 3,675,5957/1972 Sullivan 108/51 3,720,176 3/1973 Munroe 108/51 X 3,768,42310/1973 Cook 108/51 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,009,073 5/1952France 52/90 Primary Examiner-Marion Parsons, Jr. AssistantExaminerWilliam E. Lyddane Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Robert E. Howard[57] ABSTRACT A skid for the storage and transport of articles such aspaper. The skid is formed of an injection molded synthetic resinstructural foam. The skid has a generally rectangular shaped loadbearing surface and has longitudinal supports on the underside of theskid adjacent each side edge. The longitudinal supports are strengthenedby buttresses located perpendicular to the plane of the longitudinalsupport. A plurality of generally V- shaped ribs extend transverselybetween the longitudinal supports, and a plurality of longitudinallyextending ribs extend between the V-shaped ribs. At least two liftstabilizing ribs have a height at least that of the largest heightdimension of the V-shaped ribs and are located on the underside of theskid. Channel means are provided in the skid for permitting tiedownstrapping to be easily passed under a load carried by the skid.

' 4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures US. Patent .Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 2 of33,910,204

US. Patent Oct. 7,1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,910,204

STRUCTURAL FOAM SKID BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION It is known in the artto provide skids made of wood for storing and transporting loads, suchas stacks of paper out into sheets in the paper converting industry.Such loads are secured to the skid by metal straps which are cinchedaround the load. While such skids are relatively inexpensive to make,they suffer from a number of defects. The wood forming the supportingsurface of the skid splinters after a period of use and causes defectsin the product carried thereon. Also, the load bearing surface of theskid quickly becomes dirty and cannot be easily cleaned. Further, it isdifficult to pass strapping beneath the skid to secure a load thereto.

More recently, it has been suggested to form pallets of foamed plasticmaterials and a number of designs have been suggested. Such designs aresatisfactory for many purposes. However, they usually require anintricate design which is relatively difficult to mold in a singleoperation, and which requires excessive usage of plastic material.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION It is the object of the presentinvention to provide a molded structural foam skid which can beinjection molded in a single operation, which is simple in constructionyet strong and rigid, and which provides a means for easily passing astrapping material around the goods carried thereon.

The skid of the present invention has a smooth load bearing surface, alongitudinal support along each side edge on the underside thereof whichare relatively thin and strengthened by a plurality of buttresses, aplurality of generally V-shaped ribs extending transversely between thelongitudinal supports, a plurality of longitudinally extending ribsbetween the V-shaped ribs, at least two lift stabilizing ribs having aheight at least that of the largest height dimension of the V-shapedribs, and channel means for permitting tie-down strapping to be easilypassed under the load carried by the skid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective bottom view ofthe skid;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the skid partially in section;

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of a portion of the skid illustratingthe preferred strap channel configuration;

FIG. 4 is a partial, cross-sectional transverse view of the skid showingan alternative strap channel configuration; and

FIG. 5 is a partial, cross-sectional longitudinal view of thealternative strap channel configuration.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The skid is generallyrectangular shaped, and has a smooth load bearing surface member 11 asshown in FIGS. 1 and 4.

The underside of the skid is illustrated in FIG. 1. As shown in FIG. 1,the underside 12 of the load bearing surface member 11 has twolongitudinal support members 13 and 14 extending downwardly therefrom inclose proximity to the side edges of the load bearing surface member 11.Longitudinal supports 13 and 14 are relatively thin, being on the orderof one-fourth inch in thickness.

Extending transversely across the underside 12 of skid 10 betweenlongitudinal supports 13 and 14 are a plurality of generally V-shapedribs 15. The V-shaped ribs 15 have a minimum height H-l at the sideedges of skid 10 and a maximum height of H-2 at the midportion of skid10 as shown in FIG. 2. Such a configuration imparts maximum rigidity tothe downwardly acting forces of a load carried by the load bearingsurface member 11 with a minimum usage of material.

A plurality of buttress means 16 and 17 extend downwardly fromextensions of V-shaped ribs 15 located between the outer walls oflongitudinal supports 13 and 14 and the adjacent side edges of the skid10 in perpendicular abutting relationship with the outer sides ofIongitudinal supports 13 and 14, respectively. Since skid 10 isinjection molded as an essentially single unitary body, buttress 16 maybe conceptually considered to be generally L-shaped with one leg thereofin contact with the underside 12 and the other leg thereof in contactwith the outer surface of the adjacent longitudinal supports 13 or 14.Buttresses 16 and 17 impart a high degree of bending resistance tolongitudinal supports 13 and 14 against inwardly and outwardly directedforces acting thereon with a minimum usage of material.

A plurality of longitudinally extending ribs 18, 19, and 20, generallyrectangular in cross-section, impart additional rigidity to the loadbearing surface member 11 of skid 10. A-pair of longitudinally extendingside edge ribs 21 and 22 having a height equal to H-l similarly impartadditional rigidity to the skid.

Lift stabilizing ribs 23 and 24 extend transversely across the underside12 of skid 10 and have a uniform height H-3 in the portion extendingbetween longitudinal supports 13 and 14. The height H-3 of liftstabilizing ribs 23 and 24 is at least equal to the maximum height ofH-2 of V-shaped ribs 15. The purpose of the latter is to insure that theskid and its load can be raised in a level manner regardless of wherethetine or tines of the lifting vehicle are inserted between longitudinalsupports 13 and 14. Without this feature, and due to the V-shape of ribs15, the tine or tines of the lifting vehicle would have to be verycarefully placed to provide level lifting, and in the case of a liftingvehicle having a single tine such as a jack truck, level lifting wouldbe impossible without stabilizing ribs.

It has also been found to be desirable to employ additional liftstabilizing ribs at several other transversely extending locations alongthe underside of skid 10, such as those illustrated by referencenumerals 25 and 26 in FIG. 1. Lift stabilizing ribs 23, 24, 25, and 26are generally parallel to transverse ribs 15.

One of the features of the present invention is in the provision ofmeans for permitting strapping material to be easily passed under theload carried by the skid to secure the load to the skid. Such strappingmaterials and their mode of cinching are well known in the art, and aregenerally steel strips approximately one-half inch wide.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention for providing meansfor passing the strapping under the load is illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3.In this embodiment, a channel wall 27 extends downwardly from theunderside 12 of skid l0 and transversely thereacross. Channel wall 27has a height H-4 that is approximately equal to the height of theV-shaped ribs at the point where they intersectlongitudinal supports 13and 14. Channel wall 27 is spaced from the adjacent V-shaped rib l5which forms the other wall of a generally rectangularshaped, enclosedchannel 28. The distance between the walls is slightly in excess of thewidth of the strapping material to be employed. Suitable receptacles 29for receiving a fastening member are formed in channel wall 27.

A strip of suitable material 30 forms the floor of channel 28 and isattached to channel wall 27 by suit able fastening means such as screws31. Floor 30 can be made of any suitable material, either the same material of which the skid is formed or a different material, such as steelor aluminum. Underside 12 forms the ceiling of enclosed channel 28. Asuitable strapping 32 may be passed through channel 28 through anopening 34 extending through longitudinal support 13 as shown in FIG. 2;an opening identical to opening 34 is located in longitudinal support 14opposite opening 34. Two or more such channel means are preferablyprovided in the skid for strapping the load thereto.

An alternative channel construction is illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. Inthis construction a channel 33 is formed in the load bearing surfacemember 11 and transversely thereacross; as illustrated. The channel 33is slightly wider than the width of the steel strapping material to beemployed, and the depth of channel 33 is less than the thickness of theload bearing surface member 11 of the skid 10. The channel 33 extendsslightly beyond each outer wall of longitudinal supports 13 and 14 andterminate in a position located inwardly of the longitudinal edges ofthe skid. At the terminal ends of channel 33, suitable openings extendthrough the load bearing surface member 11, only one opening 35 beingillustrated. The purpose of the openings is to permit a steel strappingmaterial 37 lying in channel 33 to be brought through to the undersideof skid 10, where it is then led around the side edges of theundersurface of the skid, and subsequently around a load 38 carried onthe load bearing surface 11 of the skid 10, as best illustrated inphantom outline in FIG. 4.

In operation, in the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. I, theskid rests on a floor or other supporting surface with the bottoms oflongitudinal supports 13 and 14 in contact therewith. Upper load bearingsurface Il supports the material to be stored and transported, such aslarge sheets of paper stacked thereon. A steel strapping material 32 isthen passed through opening 34, fed across the underside of the skid inchannel 28, and exits from the opposing opening identical to opening 34,but not illustrated, on the other side of the skid. The strapping isthen wrapped around the load carried on the load bearing surface member11 and cinched tight in a known manner. The procedure is repeated fromother pairs of suitably spaced openings and associated channels. A tineor tines of a lifting device is then inserted under supporting surfacemember 11 between longitudinal supports 13 and 14, and then raised intocontact with lift stabilizing ribs 23, 24, 25, and 26. Further raisingof the tine or tines of the lifting vehicle then lifts the skid off thesupporting floor so that longitudinal supports 13 and 14 are no longerin contact therewith. The skid with its load may then be moved to anydesired location maintained in a level position.

Similarly, in using the alternative embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 4and 5, steel strapping material 37 may be first laid in channel 33 withthe ends thereof exiting It is clear that while only one channel 34 hasbeen illustrated in the embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4, a pluralityof such channels, preferably at least two, with accompanying openings 35may be placed along the upper surface of the skid at suitabletransversely extending locations.

I claim:

1. A structural foam skid comprising a load bearing surface membergenerally rectangular in shape, one relatively thin longitudinal supportmember extending downwardly from and longitudinally along the undersideof said load bearing surface member in close prox imity to each sideedge of the load bearing surface member, a plurality of buttress meansin perpendicular abutting relationship to the outer walls of saidlongitudinal support members and the bottom of said load bearingsurface, a plurality of V-shaped ribs extending downwardly from andtransversely across the underside of said load bearing surface member,the maximum height dimension of said V-shaped ribs being generally inthe midportion thereof, a plurality of ribs extending downwardly fromand longitudinally along the underside of said load bearing surfacemember, said ribs having a height less than the height of said V-shapedribs, at least two lift stabilizing ribs extending downwardly from andtransversely across the underside of said load bearing surface memberhaving a uniform height at least equal to the maximum height dimensionof said V-shaped ribs, and at least two transversely extending channelmeans in said skid for carrying strapping material.

2. The skid of claim 1 wherein the channel means is formed in the loadbearing surface member transversely thereacross in a location extendingbetween the outer walls of the longitudinal support members, theterminal ends of said channel means being at a position located inwardlyof the longitudinal edges of the skid, and openings communicating theterminal ends of said channel means with the underside of the loadbearing surface member of said skid.

3. The skid of claim 1 wherein each of the channel means is completelyenclosed and extends transversely across the underside of the loadbearing surface member between the longitudinal support members, andopenings extending through said longitudinal support members at theintersection thereof with said channel means to thereby provide outsideaccess to said channel means.

4. The skid of claim 3 wherein said channel means comprises a wallextending downwardly from the underside of said load bearing surfacemeans spaced from an adjacent transversely extending rib a distance inexcess of the width of the strapping material to be employed therewith,said adjacent rib forming the other wall of said channel means, and afloor for said channel means extending between said wall and suchadjacent rib.

1. A structural foam skid comprising a load bearing surface membergenerally rectangular in shape, one relatively thin longitudinal supportmember extending downwardly from and longitudinally along the undersideof said load bearing surface member in close proximity to each side edgeof the load bearing surface member, a plurality of buttress means inperpendicular abutting relationship to the outer walls of saidlongitudinal support members and the bottom of said load bearingsurface, a plurality of V-shaped ribs extending downwardly from andtransversely across the underside of said load bearing surface member,the maximum height dimension of said V-shaped ribs being generally inthe midportion thereof, a plurality of ribs extending downwardly fromand longitudinally along the underside of said load bearing surfacemember, said ribs having a height less than the height of said V-shapedribs, at least two lift stabilizing ribs extending downwardly from andtransversely across the underside of said load bearing surface memberhaving a uniform height at least equal to the maximum height dimensionof said V-shaped ribs, and at least two transversely extending channelmeans in said skid for carrying strapping material.
 2. The skid of claim1 wherein the channel means is formed in the load bearing surface membertransversely thereacross in a location extending between the outer wallsof the longitudinal support members, the terminal ends of said channelmeans being at a position located inwardly of the longitudinal edges ofthe skid, and openings communicating the terminal ends of said channelmeans with the underside of the load bearing surface member of saidskid.
 3. The skid of claim 1 wherein each of the channel means iscompletely enclosed and extends transversely across the underside of theload bearing surface member between the longitudinal support members,and openings extending through said longitudinal support members at theintersection thereof with said channel means to thereby provide outsideaccess to said channel means.
 4. The skid of claim 3 wherein saidchannel means comprises a wall extending downwardly from the undersideof said load bearing surface means spaced from an adjacent transverselyextending rib a distance in excess of the width of the strappingmaterial to be employed therewith, said adjacent rib forming the otherwall of said channel means, and a floor for said channel means extendingbetween said wall and such adjacent rib.